Paris is like many a sprawling metropolis filled with people, streets, traffic and enticing views that draw you down narrow streets to explore what is perhaps not on the map. Then there are the gardens and parks, like the peaceful Jardin des Plantes botanical garden, which offer serene respites from urban hum.

Paris is a city that is filled with parks – more than 400 — from postage stamp size ones on street corners to sprawling green spaces, like the Jardin des Plantes with its 28 hectares (69 acres) that were first planted in 1626. The most beautiful thing about this plant-filled wonderland for visitors? It’s free. So you can go as often as you like, explore, rest, or people watch to your heart’s delight.

The subject: The Jardin des Plantes is not just about flowers and shrubbery, though. There is a small zoo too. And that’s where these deer were gleefully partaking in their evening meal.

The inspiration: No matter how you feel about deer, they really are cute with their little tails flicking about. Polite however? Not really. They were pushing and shoving to get to their share of that yummy grass the botanists at the Jardin des Plantes had just brought in. Some, like the one on the far right, would pull some hay out of the bin, and then step aside to enjoy it so another didn’t pull it from their mouth.

Artist’s tools: Thought I am a Sony photographer now, my Nikon D90 served me well for many an adventure, as did the 18-105mm lens f/3.5-5.6, both of which I got when I returned to photography after about 25 years! What I like about this focal length on a lens is its ability to capture almost everything for me without fiddling with changing lens or being draped with several cameras with different lenses. I’m a simple photographer like that. I was set at a 1/50^th of second at f/6.3 with a focal length of 105mm. I also try to avoid over-processing so this has only the simplest of touches. This was taken in July 2012.

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